Katie Zacharia is an American attorney, political strategist and conservative media commentator whose career has moved between law, political advocacy, government communications and television. She has appeared regularly on Fox News and Newsmax and previously worked with California political organization Fix California.
In 2026, she briefly joined the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a deputy assistant secretary for public affairs and spokesperson before leaving the agency after several weeks. She later moved into senior communications work for Trump Media & Technology Group and Truth Social. Fox News currently identifies her as a Truth Social senior communications advisor.
Katie Zacharia at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Katie S. Zacharia |
| Profession | Attorney, political strategist and media commentator |
| Education | Pepperdine University and Pepperdine Caruso School of Law |
| Law degree | J.D., 2011 |
| Current role | Senior Communications Advisor, Trump Media & Technology Group / Truth Social |
| Former federal role | Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and DHS spokesperson |
| Political work | Associated with Fix California |
| Media | Fox News, Newsmax and other political programs |
| Age | 42 as of August 2026, based on a reported March 23, 1984 birth date |
| Husband | Tyler Zacharia |
Some personal biographical details, including her exact birth date and number of children, are reported by secondary sources rather than authoritative institutional records. Her education and professional credentials have stronger primary-source support.
What Is Katie Zacharia’s Current Job?
Katie Zacharia’s current public role is Senior Communications Advisor for Trump Media & Technology Group and Truth Social.
Fox News has repeatedly used that title when featuring Zacharia in 2026. In June, she appeared on Fox News @ Night discussing the SAVE America Act and the Supreme Court’s birthright-citizenship ruling. In July, Fox again identified her as a Truth Social senior communications advisor during a discussion involving New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
That makes her current communications position more relevant to a 2026 biography than older descriptions that focus primarily on her work at Fix California or her short DHS tenure.
Is Katie Zacharia Still With DHS?
No. Her DHS role ended in March 2026.
Zacharia joined the Department of Homeland Security in February 2026 as deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Public Affairs, following a reshuffling of the department’s communications team. Axios reported at the time that she was joining DHS after serving as a Fox News commentator and adviser to Richard Grenell.
She announced her departure on March 31, after roughly six weeks in the position. Her public statement said she remained committed to the administration’s policy agenda and that she expected to continue that work in other capacities.
Why Did Katie Zacharia Leave DHS?
The safest answer is that her DHS tenure ended after several weeks, but reporting about the circumstances should be treated carefully.
Zacharia publicly said she was leaving and pointed to the demands of the position and her continued commitment to the administration. Later reporting said that frequent travel between California and Washington had put pressure on her family and contributed to her decision. She also rejected speculation that alleged connections to former DHS adviser Corey Lewandowski were responsible for her departure.
A reliable biography should distinguish these reported explanations from unverified claims about internal DHS politics.
Katie Zacharia’s Education
Zacharia has a long-standing connection to Pepperdine University.
Pepperdine’s Caruso School of Law identifies Katie S. Zacharia (’07, JD ’11) as a political strategist and member of its Dean’s Council. An earlier Pepperdine academic catalog also identifies her as a former associate at Zhong Lun Law Firm.
For readers checking her education and professional credentials, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law Dean’s Council profile is the strongest authoritative source.
Her Pepperdine background is significant because it predates her television career. Her résumé developed first through law and political strategy before she became a familiar face on conservative news programs.
Katie Zacharia’s Legal Career
Zacharia’s professional background extends beyond U.S. politics.
Pepperdine records identify her previous association with Zhong Lun Law Firm, a major Chinese law firm. Her biographies have also described international legal work involving organizations such as the World Bank and International Finance Corporation.
Her legal background helps explain the way she approaches political commentary. She is not solely a campaign strategist or television personality; her public career has included legal practice, political advocacy and communications.
That combination became especially useful as she moved into public-affairs roles.
Katie Zacharia and Fix California
Zacharia has also been associated with Fix California, a conservative political organization focused on California politics and voter-related issues.
Her work with the organization helped establish her profile outside national television. It also connected her California political work with a broader national conservative network.
Before her DHS appointment, her public profile was therefore built from several overlapping roles:
- Attorney and legal strategist
- California political advocate
- Conservative commentator
- Political adviser
- Fix California legal and policy figure
Those roles eventually led to opportunities in federal communications.
Katie Zacharia on Fox News and Newsmax
Zacharia became widely recognized through appearances on conservative television.
She has appeared on Fox News programs to discuss subjects including California politics, immigration, elections, federal policy, national security and the Trump administration.
Her Fox appearances have continued even after her DHS departure. Current Fox programming identifies her by her Truth Social role rather than as a DHS official.
She has also been associated with Newsmax, where she has appeared as a political commentator.
Is Katie Zacharia a Fox News Employee?
Not based on the available public descriptions.
It is more accurate to describe Zacharia as a Fox News commentator or guest analyst rather than a Fox News staff employee. Her current professional title is connected to Truth Social, while Fox provides a platform for her political commentary.
That distinction matters because frequent television appearances can easily be mistaken for network employment.
What Does Katie Zacharia Talk About?
Zacharia’s commentary generally combines legal analysis with conservative political messaging.
Topics appearing across her media work include:
- Immigration and border enforcement
- California politics
- Election policy
- Redistricting
- Federal courts
- Supreme Court decisions
- Trump administration policies
- National security
- Democratic political strategy
- State and federal government policy
Her legal background gives her commentary a particular focus on constitutional, regulatory and policy arguments.
Katie Zacharia’s Career Before National Media
Her career did not begin in television.
After graduating from Pepperdine, Zacharia developed experience in law and international affairs before becoming increasingly involved in political strategy and advocacy.
Her early professional experience included international work in Beijing and political activities connected to Republican and conservative organizations. She subsequently developed a public profile through California political advocacy and media appearances.
This progression explains why her résumé can look unusual at first glance: it crosses several fields that are normally separate.
Law → international affairs → political strategy → California advocacy → television → federal communications → corporate political communications
Katie Zacharia’s DHS Appointment in 2026
Zacharia’s appointment to DHS was one of the most notable changes in her career.
In February 2026, DHS brought her onto its public-affairs team as deputy assistant secretary. Axios described her as a Fox News commentator and former adviser to Richard Grenell.
The position placed a recognizable conservative media personality inside a federal communications operation during a period of intense debate over immigration enforcement.
Her tenure, however, was short.
By March 31, Zacharia had announced that she was leaving the department. Reporting described her time at DHS as roughly six weeks.
The episode remains an important part of her biography because it represents her transition from commenting on federal policy from outside government to communicating for a federal agency from inside government.
Katie Zacharia’s Move to Truth Social
After leaving DHS, Zacharia returned to communications work in a role connected to Trump’s media company.
By June 2026, Fox News was identifying her as a Truth Social senior communications advisor. That title was still being used in July coverage, confirming that the role remained current well after her departure from DHS.
The move also explains why her television presence continued.
Instead of appearing as a current government spokesperson, she now appears publicly in connection with her communications role at Truth Social while continuing to provide political commentary.
Katie Zacharia’s Husband and Family
Katie Zacharia is married to Tyler Zacharia.
Pepperdine’s records identify Katie and Tyler Zacharia together in university donor materials, listing Katie as a 2007 graduate and 2011 law graduate and Tyler as a 2016 MBA graduate.
Secondary biographical sources report that the couple married in 2011 and have four children. Because detailed family information is less strongly documented than her professional credentials, a responsible biography should avoid unnecessary speculation about their private lives.
How Old Is Katie Zacharia?
Katie Zacharia is 42 years old as of August 14, 2026, based on the commonly reported March 23, 1984 birth date.
Her age is less firmly established through institutional sources than her Pepperdine education and professional positions. For that reason, it is better to describe the birth date as a reported biographical detail rather than an independently verified professional fact.
Common Questions About Katie Zacharia
Who is Katie Zacharia?
Katie Zacharia is an American attorney, political strategist and conservative media commentator. Her career includes international legal work, California political advocacy, television commentary, federal government communications and work connected to Truth Social.
What is Katie Zacharia’s current job?
As of August 2026, she is publicly identified as a Senior Communications Advisor for Truth Social and Trump Media & Technology Group. Fox News has used that title in multiple 2026 appearances.
Did Katie Zacharia work for DHS?
Yes. She joined the Department of Homeland Security in February 2026 as deputy assistant secretary for public affairs and a spokesperson. She left the position after roughly six weeks.
Why did Katie Zacharia leave DHS?
Zacharia announced her departure on March 31, 2026. Public reporting has cited the demands of traveling between California and Washington and the effect on her family, while Zacharia rejected speculation about other alleged reasons for her departure.
Is Katie Zacharia a Fox News employee?
She is a recurring Fox News commentator and guest analyst, but available public descriptions do not establish her as a Fox News staff employee. Fox currently identifies her by her Truth Social communications position.
Where did Katie Zacharia go to law school?
She earned her J.D. from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in 2011. Pepperdine identifies her as a 2007 undergraduate alumna and a member of the law school’s Dean’s Council.
Who is Katie Zacharia’s husband?
Her husband is Tyler Zacharia, who also has a Pepperdine connection. Public biographical sources report that they married in 2011.
Katie Zacharia in 2026: What Has Changed?
The biggest development in Katie Zacharia’s career during 2026 was the rapid sequence of government and communications roles.
She entered the year known primarily as a conservative attorney, political strategist and television commentator. In February, she joined DHS as deputy assistant secretary for public affairs. By the end of March, she had left the department.
By June, her public professional identity had shifted again. Fox News was describing her as a Truth Social senior communications advisor, a designation that remained in use in July.
That makes her current role the key update for anyone researching her today.
Her story is best understood not as the biography of a television personality alone, but as the career of a lawyer and political strategist who has moved between private legal work, California politics, conservative media, federal communications and Trump’s broader media ecosystem.
For readers searching for Katie Zacharia in 2026, the most important distinction is simple: her DHS position is former, while her Truth Social communications role is current.
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